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Hiding in the doing.

Welcome to the end of the week, money nerds. It’s been a challenging one for me in a way. Kim and I have been completing our move from Portland to Corvallis, which means my attention has been focused elsewhere. It’s been tough to make time to read about money — and then share what I’ve read with you!

But I’ve tried to make a bit of time every day to keep up on the financial news. This morning, for instance, I’m up early before we make one last U-Haul trip. I have a cat purring in my lap, coffee by my side, and ten or fifteen articles open in my browser. Here are a few of my faves. Today, they’re all about living more and doing less.

Hiding in the doing. [My Quiet FI] — “When I look back and see the path of my life stretched out like a trail of switchbacks zigzagging up the crooked crags of my existence, I can’t help but feel that a lot of my doing was a form of hiding. Hiding in always being busy. Avoiding the real questions in life by doing what was expected instead of what my soul whispered in the stretch of my toes and curl of my fingers. I just think people have it all wrong. So, so wrong.”

Play the hand you’re dealt to live the life you love. [Route to Retire] — “It drives me bananas to see folks stuck on the hamster wheel and miserable. Too many people aren’t happy with their lives or large parts of it and just go through the motions anyway because that’s all they know. You’re the only one who can make the changes to live the life you fantasize about.”

What would happen if we slowed down? [Cal Newport] — “If you worked deeply and regularly on a reasonable portfolio of initiatives that move the needle, and were sufficiently organized to keep administrative necessities from dropping through the cracks, your business probably wouldn’t implode, and your job roles would likely still be fulfilled. This shift from a state of slightly too much work to not quite enough, in other words, might be less consequential than we fear.”

And that’s it for this week. As soon as I press “publish”, I’m hopping in the U-Haul to head up for our final load of Stuff. Kim and I are eager to be done with this process, to finally be able to shift from moving to unpacking. (We’ve unpacked essentials but mostly we’re living out of boxes.) So close!